David Bowie dead: Did he deliberately foreshadow his own death with last single 'Lazarus'?

Fans have been left wondering whether music icon David Bowie deliberately foreshadowed his own death in his latest single “Lazarus”.

Bowie, whose death was announced today on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts following a “courageous 18-month battle with cancer”, can seemingly be heard alluding to his own death in the song, which first debuted on December 17.

The official music video, released on January 7 – just one day before Bowie’s 69th birthday and the launch of new album Blackstar – shows Bowie lying in a hospital bed, eyes blindfolded and adorned with eye-shaped baubles.

This could echo the purported ancient Greek practice of placing coins over the eyes of the dead as payment to the ferryman Charon, a mythical figure responsible for transporting souls across the River Styx to the land of the dead.

The song’s title is in itself a reference to the biblical character restored to life by Jesus Christ four days after his death.

Revelations that Bowie was being treated for cancer throughout the album’s creation suggest it is likely the global superstar was influenced by his struggles and inspired to share his meditations on mortality.

“I guess he knew he was dying, the irony seems intentional. He wanted to go out a legend,” user Thoranzalar Vhazen added.

While the extent of Bowie’s prescience remains unclear, his prediction of undiminished universal stardom appears apt, as music lovers the world over come out to celebrate the man’s contributions to music and popular culture alike.